Dua Lipa has teamed up with Donatella Versace and co-designed Versace’s latest collection. Entitled ‘La Vacanza’, the line was presented via a star-studded show in Cannes last night.
The singer – who has long been a friend of the house, and has worn Versace both on the red carpet and the stage for many years, as well as walking in one of the brand’s shows – has turned her hand to design for the first time, helping to create a high summer, holiday-inspired collection of pieces.
“Donatella and I bonded over our shared love of this time of year while making this collection,” said Lipa. “Digging through the archives we discovered we were drawn to a lot of the same references which was such an inspiring and fulfilling process.”
There are a number of pieces in the collection that are inspired by Versace’s 1995 collection, including metallic mini skirts and bikinis, butterfly and polka-dot prints. “There’s always an occasion to wear Versace, and I know I’ll be spending my days (and nights!) in La Vacanza all summer long.” There were also tailored pieces, evening gowns and terry cotton beachwear.
The collection was presented in Cannes last night, and saw the likes of Iris Law and Irina Shayk on the catwalk, while Simone Ashley and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley sat on the front row.
In a press conference which took place shortly before the show, Lipa noted how touched she was to have the opportunity to step into the atelier, and become a part of the process. “It was mind blowing,” she said. “Donatella has this very special quality that a lot of designers don’t have, in that she really cares about how women feel in the clothes. She wants to make sure that you feel really strong and empowered – this is something that I really resonate with. I’m so lucky that we’ve had the opportunity to do this together, it’s a dream come true, honestly.”
Meanwhile, Versace noted how much she enjoyed having an outside perspective come into the atelier. “It was really great to have another voice involved that is not usually a part of my team, I think that is really important.”
This collection marks the first time that Versace has opened up its house to a collaborator in this way, and it can certainly be deemed a success. “Dua loves fashion, I love music — we are the perfect duo,” Versace said. “We had such a good time designing this collection together. We felt like we were on vacation and that is exactly the spirit we want people to feel when they wear our clothes.”
